When Blue Met Green
by Scioneeris
Summary: Takuma Ichijo and Hanabusa Aido have nothing in common, except for one special pureblood. Can two opposites call a truce long enough to fall in love? TakumaxAido. PREQUEL to Spell of a Blueblood.
1. First Meeting

**A/N: I haven't seen any TakumaxAido fics out there, so this is my tribute to them. A side store to "Spell of a Blueblood" of how exactly this unlikely pair came together. Chapters will be posted whenever I have the time to write them, for a taste of their chemistry, check out the Bonus Chapter 5 in Spell of a Blueblood. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, it belongs to Matsuri Hino, I only lay claim to my original characters and plot bunnies. **

**WARNING: YAOI, boyxboy, don't like, don't read. No one's twisting your arm. :P  
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**Enjoy the read! **

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><p>Hanabusa Aido stuffed his mouth with a spinach pastry. He hated having to show up all dressed up for parties like this, when he'd much rather be poking about in his personal lab, fiddling with the latest test results for the requested blood tablets.<p>

It was half his brainchild and he was proud of the development—granted the nasty things tasted quite horrible and he'd yet to find a way to remedy that, but it was the initial idea that made him feel a spark of genius and he reveled in that for as long as his vain mind would allow. He moved silently along the edges of the crowd, keeping an eye out for his beloved Kaname-sama.

If it weren't for the pureblood, he would never have set foot inside the Ichijo residence. There was something about it that always rubbed him the wrong way when it came to the elderly vampire. Asato Ichijo was of considerable power and influence.

Considerable power and influence that he was not against using to get whatever he desired.

Aido swallowed, pushing away his thoughts for later and searching the room for the familiar shock of dark, chocolate curls. Kaname had a way of standing out in a crowd and at the moment, he was currently the center of attention in his own little crowd.

The curly headed blond watched as his beloved pureblood made gracious conversation with those around him and finally excused himself for a moment, continuing to mingle as he crossed the room.

Relief flooded him when the swirling burgundy eyes flickered up briefly to lock onto his own icy blue ones. Aido suppressed a smile, but knew it would show in his eyes anyway. Kaname tilted his head to one direction and Aido followed the line with his eyes, finding it to end at the refreshment table.

He thought for a moment, then slowly made his way towards it. He had learned early on to read the nonverbal signals the pureblood was so fond of using.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Kaname Kuran moved away from the latest group of admirers and strolled towards the refreshment table, his face serene and free of expression. As he approached the table, his head turned and Aido took note of another faint tilt of his head. He wondered for whom it was intended, only to see a smiling, cheerful, green-eyed vampire circle around from the opposite end of the table.

Aido blinked.

The smile on the vampire's face was positively blinding.

It almost made him sick.

He swallowed, watching as the green-eyed boy intercepted Kaname, a slender wine glass in hand. They exchanged words at which, the green-eyed teen took a sip from the wineglass, smiled, then handed it over.

To Aido's complete surprise—Kaname took it, smiled, nodded and took a sip barely a scant few seconds later. The conversation continued and before he could bring himself to walk over, Aido stared as Kaname walked off and the cheerful green eyes turned towards him.

For a moment, the piercing intensity of those swirling emerald orbs made him swallow again. Then he shook the dizzy thoughts from his head and trotted forward as the other vampire approached. The smiling fellow stuck out his hand as soon as he was within range. "Hello, I am Takuma Ichijo. Kaname-sama requested I introduce myself to-"

"How dare you drink from the same glass as Kaname-sama?" Aido barked.

Takuma's blond eyebrows danced up to the neatly combed fringe of blond bangs across his forehead. He smirked. "You must be Hanabusa Aido."

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><p><strong>~*~*~*Thanks for reading! Chapters will be longer in the future. I simply wanted the introduction out of the way.~*~*~ ^_^ <strong>


	2. First Conversation

**A/N: If you haven't already, be sure to check out the Bonus Chapter 5 in Spell of a Blueblood for a good dose of TakumaxAido deliciousness. I hope you enjoy the read! ^_^ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, it belongs to Matsuri Hino, I only lay claim to my original characters and plot bunnies. **

**WARNING: YAOI, boyxboy, don't like, don't read. No one is twisting your arm. Really.  
><strong>

**Everyone else, do enjoy the read! This will be a slow-building romance and most characters from VK will make an appearance.  
><strong>

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><p>"How dare you?" Aido fumed. He wasn't sure what he could say, should say or would say. He was simply too shocked. He'd never seen something like that before. Correction, he'd seen plenty of Vampires sharing things between them, drinks, food and…blood. But this was the first time he'd ever seen Kaname Kuran take someone else's leftovers. It prickled his impossibly sensitive ego and Aido was processing it in the only way that he could process it—by taking it out on the person who had dared commit such an atrocity. "Kaname-sama doesn't drink from the same glass as-"<p>

"Takuma Ichijo." Takuma interrupted, repeating himself, as if he hadn't heard anything the blue-eyed genius was babbling on about. "Kaname has told me quite a bit about you and I am most pleased to make your-"

"Kaname-sama!" Aido corrected, a faint glint in his vivid aqua eyes. He wasn't about to let this slip past him. How dare this cheery-happy-go-lucky excuse of a Vampire act as though it was commonplace to bear such privileges! He'd gladly give nearly anything to be the one sharing a glass with the handsome pureblood. Another tic of annoyance registered in the back of his head.

"Kaname-sama." Takuma parroted, amusement showing plainly in his bright features. "On behalf of my grandfather, I welcome you." He tipped his head in acknowledgement. "Please do make yourself at home. I am at your disposal on behalf of the Ichijo clan. It is certainly a pleasure to meet you, Aido."

"Don't call me Aido!" The curly-headed blond retorted, his brain flip-flopping to take in the formal introduction and greeting, then to understand the causal meaning of address. The only answer his brilliant mind returned went along the lines of questioning the cheerful vampire's sanity. As it was, his comeback was rather lacking. "I haven't even introduced myself!" He blustered.

Perplexed, pale eyebrows arched upwards in confusion. "But you do look like him, you sound like him and Kaname pointed you out from—sorry, Kaname-sama—pointed you out to me, himself. You mean to suggest that he was wrong?" The expression, from the worried eyes, the pursed lips and arched eyebrows spoke of everything that Takuma did not explicitly say.

A red flush colored the younger vampire's face as his hands fisted in his sides, an attempt to control his simmering temper. The happy boy was toying with him. He ground his teeth together. He'd barely known him for more than a minute or two at best and already, he wished he was elsewhere. "Kaname-sama does not make mistakes!" He snapped, lifting his chin. "I-"

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><p>"Aido, Takuma." Kaname interrupted, smoothly. He'd sensed the faintest tremors of unease through a flicker of his pureblooded gift and spotting the blond duo still standing at the refreshment table, excused himself to be sure that the meeting was progressing in the way he had intended. Takuma Ichijo was the closest thing he had to a friend and advisor. Hanabusa Aido was very close to being his right-hand, a job filled expertly by a certain ash-haired bodyguard who rarely left him unattended, even for a fraction of a second.<p>

"Kaname." Takuma greeted, mischief dancing in his sparkling emerald eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"Kaname-sama!" Aido bobbed his head quickly, respectfully. He glowered at the smiling Takuma when the noble vampire made no move to mirror his actions.

"I am glad you two are getting along so well." Kaname swallowed half of the swirling contents from his borrowed drink. "I was almost worried."

"T-there is nothing to worry about at all, Kaname-sama." Aido straightened, the red flush melting away to a calmer pink. "Everything is going just as-"

Kaname swallowed the remaining liquid and handed the glass over to his friend. "Takuma…?"

"One moment." His friend murmured, excusing himself from their conversation with a tip of his head.

Aido's voice trailed off as he watched the older vampire disappear. A visible sign of relief flooded through him in his shoulders slumping as he sighed. He didn't like that one at all. A scowl made its way to his face and his brow furrowed into a deliberate pucker.

"Takuma is a very good friend of mine." Kaname said, quietly. He'd been gauging the blond's reactions, knowing that the noble was far too honest and transparent to effectively mask his own thoughts. "I've been speaking to him about attending Cross Academy."

"Cross Academy?" Aido blurted out. "But that means he'd be attending the Night Class with-!"

"With the rest of us, yes." Kaname inserted. He almost smiled. Aido could be so predictable sometimes. "Asato Ichijo has finally given his consent. Takuma will adjust. He thinks it will be fun."

"Fun?" Aido spluttered, trying and failing to process the fact that Kaname didn't have any issues with this. He couldn't wrap his head around it. "But-!"

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><p><strong>~*~*~*~*Thanks for reading!~*~*~*~ Please leave a comment if you feel so inclined. <strong>


	3. First Death

**A/N: Thank you all for the faves/alerts! (and those of you who took the time to review, I appreciate it!) If you haven't already, be sure to check out the Bonus Chapter 5 in Spell of a Blueblood for a lemony dose of TakumaxAido deliciousness. Now, onto chapter 3 I hope you enjoy the read! ^_^ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, it belongs to Matsuri Hino, I only lay claim to my original characters and plot bunnies. **

**WARNING: YAOI, boyxboy, don't like, don't read. No one is twisting your arm. Really.  
><strong>

**Everyone else, do enjoy the read! This will be a slow-building romance and most characters from VK will make an appearance.**

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><p>From across the refreshment table, Takuma swiped another fluted glass of champagne. It was Kaname's preferred drink, when his favored Blood Wines were not present in his favorite vintages. It was also a gift that his grandfather happily provided.<p>

Because it was his grandfather, Takuma ran the necessary interference. He knew Kaname would never ask him to. Would never suggest it in any way and wouldn't mind if he didn't do anything. But they were friends—good friends, Takuma liked to think, so he'd handed the empty glass to a passing waiter and retrieved another one from the table.

He knew his grandfather was most likely watching, but the elderly gentleman couldn't really complain. To share something as simple as a drink was just enough of a news snippet that anyone could read anything into it. Anyone but Kaname.

Takuma held the glass lightly in his hand as he started back towards the pureblood and noble duo at the other end of the refreshment line. He had to say that his first impression of the fiery, loud-mouthed vampire had been even worse than he'd expected.

Sure, Kaname had been kind enough to warn him, but Takuma hadn't been expecting such flat-out rejection. Hanabusa Aido hadn't even cared to give him the time to day, his sole thought only for his beloved pureblood. Takuma sighed. His dedication was granted to many things and Kaname was certainly one of those things, but he knew where his loyalties lay and left it at that.

There was no need to do anything more.

From his point of view, it didn't make any sense to be fussing and fretting over them in the way that it seemed Aido particularly enjoyed. A smirk registered as Takuma made his way easily through the crowd, flashing a smile where necessary.

The curly-haired idiot was a bit of a worry wart.

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><p>Aido stiffened as Takuma made his way through the crowd again. He was calm and collected, the smile on his face directed in turn to anyone who paused his way. The smile never wavered, even as Takuma passed the distinguished Asato Ichijo.<p>

They spoke for a few brief seconds and then Takuma continued on. Aido tried not to watch his approach, but he couldn't help it. Kaname had grown silent once more, declining one polite conversation and maintaining his best impression of a statue.

"Kaname?" Takuma's smile dimmed to a more tolerable level. He raised the flute to his lips and took a delicate sip, green eyes locked with garnet ones. He handed the glass over as before.

Kaname accepted the drink without missing a beat. "Thank you, Takuma."

"It's a bit stronger this time around." Takuma turned his smile to Aido. "Would you care for something as well? I could bring you a-"

"No!" The answer was a little more forceful than necessary.

Kaname hid a smile. "Takuma knows his drinks." He allowed. "Perhaps something a little milder?" He suggested, turning to his friend. It would seem the best way to keep them together would be keeping them apart. He hoped whatever it was between them wouldn't grow to anything else other than a lousy first impression—on both sides, perhaps.

"I'm fine, Kaname-sama."

The pureblood ignored him. "I think Aido might appreciate a little-"

Something crashed to the floor and a sudden silence descended on the gay party. Takuma stiffened and Aido's discomfort melted away to a strange air of relaxation. Kaname moved forward, the crowd parting as he approached.

On the floor, sprawled in a contorted heap, lay a young, redheaded vampire, her face caught in an expression of pain and confusion. For a moment, she was vibrant and beautiful, then suddenly, her body dissolved into a strip of grey dust.

The fluted glass in Kaname's hand exploded.

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><p><strong>~*~*~*~Thanks for reading!~*~*~* Please leave a comment if you feel so inclined. <strong>


	4. First Orders

**A/N: Thank you all for the faves/alerts! (and those of you who took the time to review, I really do appreciate it!) Chapter 4 is a tad longer than usual, I hope you enjoy the read! ^_^ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, it belongs to Matsuri Hino, I only lay claim to my original characters and plot bunnies. **

**This will be a slow-building romance and most characters from VK will make an appearance.**

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><p>"Kaname-sama!" The exclamation was muted rather than loudly shouted and a sudden throw of his hand, Aido cast a glob of ice on the sharp shards of glass, preventing any unnecessary accidents.<p>

Takuma was instantly beside the pureblood's standing figure as he stared at the strip of grey dust. He tried to recall the name of the young redhead, but his mind stubbornly refused to focus. Those sorts of necessary details seemed rather mindless in the moment. He could only remember seeing the lovely gown, the contorted face and feeling a distinct sense of helplessness as the girl died.

A needless, pointless death, his mind screamed at him.

Takuma opened his mouth to speak, then shut it with a glance at Kaname's face. The pureblood had grown unnaturally still and his hand still poised beside him as if holding the glass.

Aido ventured closer as well, one hand reaching towards Kaname, before it dropped back to his side. He licked his lips, about to say something, when he also caught sight of the pureblood's countenance. His eyes fell guiltily to the floor and he took up his position to the pureblood's right, studiously ignoring Takuma. There was nothing he could do now.

There was nothing to be said.

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><p>It was only a matter of minutes before several maids came forward and the mess was immediately swept away. The party resumed in a heartbeat and at Seiren's appearance and whispered words, Kaname left the ballroom and moved to the adjoining study.<p>

The moment the doors slid shut behind them, Kaname began to pace. His accompanying trio of friends and bodyguards immediately dispersed, allowing more room. A restless aura flew outwards from the pureblood, filling the room until Aido coughed from his corner near a bookshelf. Seiren cast a glare in his direction and Takuma pretended not to notice.

Kaname read what wasn't said.

The vampire aura faded to a near tolerable level.

Takuma moved from his position near the door and crossed the room to stand by the desk. He sat—briefly—in the chair behind the desk and then moved to sit on the desk itself, before sliding off, hands in his pockets. "Kaname…"

Garnet eyes fixed on him for a moment, pausing in mid-pace before Kaname moved to sit in the desk chair. He sat, motionlessly while Takuma poured him a fresh glass of water from a pitcher on the nearby refreshment table. He paused long enough for Seiren to drop a few blood tablets in the clear liquid, before handing over the glass to the agitated vampire.

Kaname held it, staring morosely into the crimson swirls. He took a sip, grimaced, and took another. "That's what, the sixth one, Takuma?" His voice was tight.

His friend didn't answer right away.

"Everywhere I go…" Kaname whispered. "Everywhere I go, Takuma. Can't they just leave them alon-"

Takuma cut in. "Kaname, you have to get a hold on yourself. There was nothing that could be done." He willed the truth to show in his green eyes. He couldn't explain everything in their present company—not without Kaname's express orders and at the moment, he remained under oath. "Please, there was nothing anyone could do."

"Was there?"

"Yes, there was. Even you couldn't have—well, there wasn't anything, was there?"

Kaname's answer was to drain the entire glass. He set it down with an audible clunk on the desk, a myriad of emotions flickering through his expressive eyes before they went dull. The vampire aura began to forcibly multiply and the three noble vampires stiffened.

With a resigned air, the pureblood rose from the desk, his entire being changing, the atmosphere shifting to match his change in mood.

"Kaname-sama?" Aido ventured, wanting to be in the loop, but not wanting to ask if it made him look the slightest bit stupid in a certain new vampire's eyes. Green eyes, to be precise.

"Seiren, get the car ready. I'd like to return to Cross Academy as soon as possible." Kaname said, quietly.

Seiren touched her right fist to her left shoulder in acknowledgement. In a blur of color, she was gone. Takuma blinked, slowly, his green eyes growing sharp. "You're leaving now?" There was the faintest hint of disapproval in his voice.

"I'll come with you." Aido volunteered, at once.

"No, Aido." Kaname gave the faintest of smiles. "I think it would be better if you stayed and came with Takuma." He turned to his friend, giving the tiniest of nods in acknowledgement to the unspoken question. He needed to leave now—it was best for them all.

"What? But why?" Aido started forward. "Kaname-sama, I can be of more use to you if I am-"

"He might be." Takuma smiled, picking up the thread of conversation for what it was. "You should take him with you, Kaname. I don't think I could leave straightaway, not right now anyhow. Grandfather won't like it. That could cause more trouble."

Aido glared at him. "If Kaname-sama says that-"

"How soon can you leave?" Kaname tugged at the silken tie on his dress shirt. It was beginning to bother him in the way that certain things usually did. He rolled his neck slightly to the side, relishing in the slight freedom that came with a loosened tie. He couldn't take it off completely, he might run into someone on the way to the entry exist. The timing for this particular incident was really horrible. He needed to be home—and that was currently Cross Academy.

"I'll try to leave as soon as possible." Takuma shrugged. "It's hard to say. I'll need…time, you know that."

He did, Kaname allowed. But he also knew Takuma. "How soon?" he repeated.

Takuma frowned. "It depends." Kaname perked a brow. Takuma smirked in response. "As long as I'm not interrupted, no longer than a few hours, three or four at best."

"Good. You have two." Kaname murmured. "I'll see you then and I expect everything."

"Two?" Aido's head snapped back and forth between the two vampires. He wasn't following them at all. None of it was making any sense. "Two hours? For what? Why?"

"Two hours, only." There was the faintest hint of iron in Kaname's voice and Takuma's smile adjusted accordingly.

"But Kaname-sama…?" Aido licked his lips. "Certainly I can-"

"You'll be in the way if you come now." Kaname frowned. "Takuma has work to do, help him."

"But-!"

"Stay, Aido." The pureblood threw over his shoulder, his garnet eyes fluxed red with energy. "Two hours, Ichijo." Seiren's quiet tap on the door alerted him that she'd returned. It was time to go. He swept from the room without another backward glance.

Aido stared after him.

Takuma merely smiled.

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><p><strong>~*~*~*~Thanks for reading, please leave a comment if you feel so inclined.~*~*~* ^_^ <strong>

**A/N: In order for this story to work, (since it is AU), I'm taking some liberties, such as Takuma not attending Cross Academy from the get go, having only recently convinced his grandfather to allow him to attend. See you next chapter! ~_^ **


	5. First Disagreement

**A/N: Thank you all for the faves/alerts! (and those of you who took the time to review, I appreciate it!) If you like my VK world, check out my other VK fic, Spell of a Blueblood. You'll see snippets of Takuma and Aido in there too. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, it belongs to Matsuri Hino, I only lay claim to my original characters and plot bunnies. **

**WARNING: YAOI, boyxboy, don't like, don't read. No one is twisting your arm. Really.  
><strong>

**Everyone else, do enjoy the read! This will be a slow-building romance and most characters from VK will make an appearance.**

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><p><em>Stay<em>? Aido stood in stunned shock as the study door clicked shut after the retreating figure of his beloved pureblood. _Stay_? That was practically out of the question! How on earth could he stay when-? He shook his head. It wasn't so much the fact that he had to stay—and with that ridiculously cheerful specimen of a vampire—but rather the way in which Kaname had said it.

_Stay_.

As if he were a dog being told to obey by his master.

An animal with no other option.

A reality that he didn't care to contradict.

Aido swallowed. The sounds of rustling caught his ears and he turned to see the source of it. His own miseries could wait. He preferred to wallow in them only when granted absolute privacy. An audience never helped. He pushed the troublesome thoughts away and turned his attention to the matter at hand.

Takuma had begun to rummage through the desk drawers, his usual version of a smile comfortably dimmed as his hands moved quickly over the stacks of papers and personal embossments.

_Stay_? Aido felt his energy beginning to shift rather unsteadily inside of him. It seemed he couldn't ignore it after all. He wanted to protest, but he knew better. In fact, he knew all-too-well. Kaname Kuran would never directly order them about—he didn't seem to use his status to lord of any of those under his immediate protection—but his suggestions were never really suggestions.

Aido had learned to read that a long time ago. He'd caught a glimpse of the turmoil in the pureblood's eyes, a forbidden glance of something that seemed far too private even for a friend. He'd been unable to speak. To his surprise, Takuma hadn't said anything either.

But the entire scene that had just played out before him had left the gears in his mind turning at record speed. Something serious was happening and he wasn't quite in the loop. Icy-blue eyes narrowed into points. It seemed that Takuma was more than simply another noble vampire.

By the time he'd finished raiding his grandfather's desk, Takuma was literally itching to be moving. He hated the suit he was wearing and the tight dress shoes that pinched his toes. He wanted something comfortable to wear and a bodyguard to play door guard so he could compile the information that Kaname had requested of him.

He was halfway down the hall from the study when he realized he was alone. Stifling a sigh, he backtracked a few steps and tapped on the study door to garner the blue-eyed blond's attention. "Coming?"

Aido scowled and blurred to the door to meet him.

Takuma trotted off down the hall, his hands filled with letters, notices and a few property deeds. It was all part of the game—the game that they played and never admitted.

Sounds of the guests cheering below brought a grim turn to his smile and it wavered, for the briefest of moments. A life had been lost and nothing had been done. It was all continuing on just as if nothing had happened.

Nothing.

The witnesses, the killer.

It had to be murder. Takuma wasn't stupid. He could put that much together. He reasoned most of the present guests could do the same. But Kaname Kuran hadn't done anything. He'd merely stared at the ashes for longer than polite and then immediately exited the area on his bodyguard's say-so.

His disapproval had been a little too obvious. But the guests were coping in the only way they knew how, pretending that nothing had happened.

Takuma sighed. That wasn't good at all. It wasn't like they were unprepared to handle the security that came with protecting a pureblood—his grandfather would have the head and heart of anyone who dared to suggest such a thing. But the fact that something like that had happened—and in plain sight no less, a faint shiver ran through him. Takuma found himself thinking that he didn't like any of this at all.

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><p><strong>~*~*~*~*Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment if you feel so inclined.~*~*~*<strong>

**Sakuragirl25-yes, this will be TakumaxAido Yaoi. I think they make a cute couple. ^_^ Thanks for reviewing!**

**Calendula Requiem-I love your reviews. They make me smile. Yep, it looks like Kaname is certainly scheming something and pureblood's usually get their way, eh? ^_^ **

**Vivace-Thank you for the kind review! I'm glad you're enjoying this fic and I hope you enjoy this chapter. ^_^**


	6. First Argument

**A/N: Thank you all for the faves/alerts! (and those of you who took the time to review, I appreciate it!) I'm absolutely thrilled that so many people like this little fic. If you like my VK world, check out my other VK fic, Spell of a Blueblood. I've decided that this fic will be the prequel to it. LOL. (You'll see snippets of Takuma and Aido in there too!) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, it belongs to Matsuri Hino, I only lay claim to my original characters and plot bunnies. **

**WARNING: YAOI, boyxboy, don't like, don't read. No one is twisting your arm. Really.  
><strong>

**Everyone else, do enjoy the read! This will be a slow-building romance and most characters from VK will make an appearance.**

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><p>He'd been keeping track of time. Aido scowled, checking his watch again for more times than he cared to keep track of. He was getting bored! There wasn't anything he could do and watching Takuma sit in front of three computers and keyboards had quickly grown old after the first five minutes of something close to awe.<p>

The boy had stopped by his bedroom just long enough kick his shoes off and then he'd grabbed a stack of files sitting on the center of his bed and had begun to flip through them. In a matter of minutes, the entire bed was covered with papers and reports arranged in some sort of order that made sense to the vampire furiously typing away at the desk.

Aido wasn't sure he ought to interrupt, but it seemed as if he didn't, they were going to be late. As far as he could tell, it had been nearly an hour and it would take more than an hour to reach Cross Academy. An involuntary shudder ran through him and he quickly squashed it as best as he could. Kaname wouldn't be happy if they were to turn up late. An angry Kaname was definitely not on his list of favorite things, but sometimes the forceful side of the pureblood could be rather…appealing. A faint tingle of warmth traveled through him at that, taking care of the earlier chill.

Mutterings from the vampire at the desk drew his attention again and Aido found himself scowling. "We need leave or we'll be late."

"Hmm?" Takuma didn't even pause as he sifted through the stack of papers on his lap and then hands and eyes moved at vampire speed to comprehend the data he was sifting and sorting. "Did you say something?" He turned, smiling.

The smile made his stomach turn to lead. Aido swallowed. "Late." He forced the word through his teeth. "We're going to be late."

"Why?"

"Kaname-sama said two hours."

Takuma's green eyes flickered to the wall clock hanging over the doorway to his private bath. "We have an hour."

"You have an hour." Aido corrected. "I do not."

Blond-white eyebrows danced upwards in amusement. "Really? Then you're leaving now?"

"Yes!" Aido blurted out, before he could help himself.

"Kaname is expecting you to come with me."

"I can be of better use to him if I am-"

"If he said you're going to be in the way, then you will be." Takuma swiveled back to face the computers. "Don't worry. He won't mind."

Aido bristled. "How dare you presume to know what Kaname-sama has in mind for-"

"This is more important." Takuma cut him off. "Make yourself useful. We'll leave when I'm ready."

"When you're ready?"

"We can't go without this. That would be worse than showing up late." A hint of authority laced his voice as his fingers continued to fly over the keyboards. "Much worse than showing up late, Hanabusa Aido."

The blue-eyed blond bristled. "But-!'

"If you're going to be annoying, then make yourself _useful_." Extra emphasis was added to the end and Takuma's gaze flickered towards the printer on the side desk happily spitting out stacks of printed matter. He frowned, his fingers continuing to keep a steady rhythm on the keyboard. There really was a lot of work to do.

"Doing what?" Aido snapped.

Takuma paused, thoughtfully. "Pack, I suppose." He said, after a moment. "I haven't done that yet and I don't like to let the maids in here." He shrugged. "You'll find a bag under the bed, just put something comfortable in there and that should be fine. Kaname said something about uniforms, so I'll pick mine up when we get there." His smile upped a few watts. "If you don't mind, the sooner I finish this, the sooner we can leave, hm?"

Aido opened his mouth and then shut it. He wasn't about to answer something like that. If the smiling idiot wanted him to pack, then fine. He'd pack. Then he'd leave. There was no way he was going to be late at a time like this. Something big was going on, something important. He needed to support Kaname—he needed to be _there_!

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><p><strong>~*~*~*~*Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment if you feel so inclined.~*~*~*~<strong>


	7. First Moment

**A/N: Thank you all for the faves/alerts! I am uploading this short chapter, even though I'm not really doing much writing this month. (School, life and being sick at the moment. Sigh.) Also, I have started a new AU VK fic, titled the Clocktower Legacy, check it out if you're just looking for some new VK stuff to read. ^_^  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, it belongs to Matsuri Hino, I only lay claim to my original characters and plot bunnies. **

**WARNING: YAOI, boyxboy, don't like, don't read. No one is twisting your arm. Really.  
><strong>

**Everyone else, do enjoy the read! This will be a slow-building romance and most characters from VK will make an appearance.**

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><p>With a huff, Aido dropped to his knees fishing out a dusty, old-fashioned travel bag from the shadowy depths of under the bed. He blew a coat of dust off the top and coughed almost at once. It was certainly old. For a fleeting moment he wondered if the cheerful vampire had ever had to use the bag before, certainly there were more modern specimens he could afford, unless he really was some sort of a homebody.<p>

_No, more like a recluse?_ Aido reasoned. He'd never heard Kaname speak of the green-eyed vampire before and this was certainly the first time he'd ever been unceremoniously dumped like this when a million questions were swirling through his head and the two people capable of answering them were both occupied. Aido held the bag gingerly in his hands, turning it to see both sides. It had to be the oldest bag he'd ever seen. He wrinkled his nose, casting a glance at the paper-covered bed before he shrugged. It probably didn't matter at all.

"Don't." Takuma's voice was cheerful, but the warning was spot-on. He didn't even pause in his work to dash a sideways glance to the bed and Aido's unspoken intention.

Aido grimaced as he snatched the bag back from almost-touching the bed and set it on the floor. He scooted it over to the wooden wardrobe with one booted foot and then eyed the wooden monstrosity. From the ornate metal handle and fashionings, he could see the metal's purpose was for added security. He pulled on one handle and then the other when the door didn't open.

Immediately a scowl surfaced. "Ichijo-!"

"What?"

"The door's locked."

"Oh. Sorry. I forgot. Here, I've got the key."

Aido turned, but saw nothing different from the boy sitting on the chair, furiously typing away. "Where?" He grumped, moving over. The sooner he had this bag packed, the faster he could get out of here.

"Around my neck." Takuma didn't miss a beat, his green eyes fixed on the computer monitor. "It's on the locket chain."

"Locket…chain?" Aido heard himself repeat, leaning to the side to see. As far as he could tell, the other vampire wasn't wearing any jewelry, but then again, he didn't look like the type that did. Blue eyes narrowed into points. "Really?"

"It's in my shirt." Takuma frowned, leaning to the side. "I hope I have enough ink to print these out. Check in the hallway closet for spare office supplies when you're done packing. Kaname likes it when he can actually hold the printed copies and mark on them with-"

"In your shirt?" The words were forced through his teeth and Aido found his hands clenching into fists at his sides, while he mentally reminded himself not to punch the other boy. If he did, Kaname-sama was sure to be unhappy and that was one thing that Aido did not want. Yes, he didn't want to upset his fearless pureblood prince, but he certainly was not going to play any of the perverted games of this too-cheerful specimen of a vampire. Normally, he wouldn't really have any qualms about reaching into someone's shirt—not that he did it often—but the only shirt that he considered open and fair game was his cousin Kain's. This vampire was most certainly not Kain.

"Is something the matter?" There was a hint of annoyance in his voice as Takuma's head snapped to the side, the cheery green eyes flickering with something dangerous inside of them. "Or let me guess, you don't know how to undo a clasp?" The smile reappeared, though somewhat darkened in its rendition as Takuma deliberately paused in his work to pull a thin gold chain locket out from around his neck. He took his time pulling it over his head instead of undoing the clasp and extended it with a show of courtesy. "I trust you can handle the rest?"

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><p><strong>~*~*~Thanks for reading!~*~*~<strong>


	8. First Shock

**A/N: Thank you all for the faves/alerts! To make up for the short chappy last time, this one is a little longer and I'm pulling on Takuma's dark side just a bit. I do hope you all enjoy it. Drama and mystery is about to begin. ^_^  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, it belongs to Matsuri Hino, I only lay claim to my original characters and plot bunnies. **

**WARNING: YAOI, boyxboy, don't like, don't read. No one is twisting your arm. Really.  
><strong>

**Everyone else, do enjoy the read! This will be a slow-building romance and most characters from VK will make an appearance.**

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><p>Aido stuck his tongue out to the vampire's turned back. It was childish and immature, but at that moment he didn't care. He felt like a five-year-old on the playground that had just discovered the new kid was taller, cooler and richer than him. It didn't sit well at all. As far as he was concerned, Takuma Ichijo was a bigheaded idiot and he didn't care to think any further than that.<p>

With a huff, the curly-headed blonde turned his attention back to the original intention—to pack something 'comfortable' into that ancient excuse of a traveling back. The locket turned out to be a complicated sort of rubiks cube puzzle. Aido fiddled it for several minutes, determined not to ask for help when his frustration got the better of him.

He squatted slightly to squint at the keyhole and then pressed his left thumb to the space, working to form a delicate key of ice. It took some patience that he didn't really have and a bit of thought to pull it off, but the tumblers turned and the lock clicked open. Aido smirked, looking at the locket in his hand before throwing it over his shoulder in Takuma's direction.

He didn't have to look to know that the other one would catch it. A faint sound came from the desk corner, but Aido ignored it. He hadn't heard the chain hit the computer screen—his intended target—so it was more than safe to assume that the cheery vampire had caught it. Aido scowled. He didn't want to deal with that right now.

He really didn't want to deal with any of it when the wardrobe doors swung open. Aido stared. He stared because there really wasn't much else he could do at the very precise and very organized vision in front of him. In neat rows of nearly identical items, organized by color, length and style, it seemed, was Takuma Ichijo's entire wardrobe. Simple v-necked sweaters with alternating collar colors were hung in carefully pressed rows on slender hangers meant to be crammed into tight spaces. The clothes were simple and well-cared for in the fact that they didn't show any signs of wear and they didn't deviate at all from the intended style.

Aido reached out, fingering one sweater sleeve and then scowled, shaking the awe from his somewhat empty head. This was an idiot and an idiot's closet. Only an idiot with nothing to do would ever take the time to meticulously arrange every single item in one's wardrobe into this glorious example of an Obsessive-Compulsive's perfect day dream.

With careless fingers, he yanked out a handful of sweaters and intended to do the same with the pants. A muffled yelp was swallowed in his throat when grabbing the hanging pants caused the section of the wardrobe to fold outwards, revealing a second line of hanging pants behind them. Aido blinked. Takuma Ichijo was a very strange boy indeed. Who in their right mind used expanding wardrobes?

Of course, his curiosity got the better of him and Aido grudgingly allowed that the design was intriguing. The wardrobe had obviously been custom-designed and in a way to take up as little space as possible while providing as much room within for the contents. A little exploration brought a smirk to Aido's face when he realized that literally everything the cheery vampire wore was sitting before him—right down to the color coded boxers.

He wanted to laugh. It was really too funny. He'd never seen anything like it before and the new sight had come just at a moment of peak frustration. He could either growl or laugh and at the moment, he wanted to do both. Socks were also color coded, along with belts hanging down one side of the wardrobe door and Aido began to merrily snatch up items and cram them into the traveling bag.

He stuffed until the bag couldn't hold any more and then he struggled to press the clasp shut. Finished—and satisfied—he shut the wardrobe doors with a smirk. There'd been plenty in there for him to tuck away for future reference. This Takuma didn't know anything about him. The smirk grew more devious as Aido checked his watch and all thoughts of blackmail flew from head.

"I'm late!" He screeched. There was only ten minutes before two hours would've passed for Kaname's deadline. Aido gulped, remembering the oppressive vampire aura from before in the Ichijo's study. Kaname definitely hadn't been in the best of moods recently and he really didn't want to be on the receiving end of that temper.

At that precise moment, Takuma finally rose from the desk. With vampire speed, he blurred to the bed and with quick fingers, began to assemble the printed pages into some sort of giant stack.

"What are you doing?" Aido fairly yelled. Panic was setting into him in a new way and he was suddenly at a loss for what to do. "We can't be here—we're going to be—oh man-" A few more moans and mumbled exclamations made it out through his lips before Takuma ducked under the bed to retrieve a large briefcase, in which the assembled report was immediately deposited.

He grabbed the packed bag and briefcase, thrusting them into Aido's surprised hands. "Take these and leave first. Go downstairs—it's at least two flights of stairs—and go through the door with the chip in the blue paint frame. It should be on your left after you pass the display by the hall window, the one with the sunflowers in the vase. You want to go through the door, because it leads to the garage. I'll drive and you can put those in the backseat. Hurry!" Takuma pulled the locket from his pocket along with a keyring which he stuffed into Aido's already full arms. "Go now!" He hurried to the wardrobe and threw open the doors, rummaging quickly through the contents. "You didn't have to make a mess of everything." His voice was somewhat miffed, before he withdrew with a cream-colored sweater with a black accent around the collar.

"Go-what? Wait!" Aido sputtered, understanding but not comprehending exactly what had been asked of him. His genius mind was connecting the dots in the most logical way and from the sound of it, it seemed as if they would be sneaking out of the house.

Sneaking.

As in sneaking out of the house.

His question died in his throat as Takuma whipped off the fancy dress shirt and blazer, changing into a simple button-up shirt which was tucked into the dress pants. From the glance to his watch, Aido could tell that the other vampire was finally concerning himself with time. The sweater went over the shirt and Takuma took care to lock the wardrobe door, threading the locket over his head and tucking it inside his shirt.

The green-eyed blond turned with surprise showing plainly in his face. "What are you still doing here?" He lurched forward, grabbing the keys back and then grabbing Aido's arm. Pulling him towards the door, Takuma paused listening for a moment before he squared his shoulders and stepped out.

A tall-suited vampire stood at attention on the right and Aido wondered when he'd approached. He hadn't felt nor sensed a thing. Something bigger was definitely going on here and he wanted to know what it was! But before he could question any of it, Takuma spoke up, his voice tight and somewhat strained.

"Raul—I have to go on a trip. Grandfather's given me his permission, alright?" Takuma carefully inched out of the door, his grip on Aido's arm tightening.

The hefty suited vampire merely stared at him through pale-tinted sunglasses.

Takuma drew Aido close behind him, releasing his arm. "Go." He hissed, turning just enough so Aido could hear the whispered word and with an new light of urgency in his eyes that lent credence to his request. "Now!"

Aido felt his legs wobble at the sheer intensity of that rich, green-eyed gaze. There was definitely no smile on the vampire's face now. He swallowed and all logical thought left his mind though at what Takuma did next.

He gave the great big Raul a hug—then kneed him in the nuts.

As the hulking figure half-doubled over, Takuma's 'hug' turned out to be a well-placed grip to easily throw the figure over his shoulder with a bone-crushing thud. The fellow's head lolled to the side, the husky body limp. Takuma ripped the blazer open along with the dress shirt and vest. He plucked out the wire from the bodyguard's ear and crushed it quickly between his fingers, retrieving the gun as well and stuffing that in the back of his pants. His hands continued to roam over the body, yanking out a thin black wire attached to a slender radio.

Aido gaped, unable to help himself as he opened his mouth and words streamed out. "Wha-what's going on here? What did you do that for? He didn't—you did—what are—hey!"

Takuma's head jerked around with eyes that had gone blood red. A predatory gleam showed plainly in the swimmingly rich green eyes that drilled through him. "You're not very good at following instructions, Hanabusa Aido." He practically purred, fangs lengthening and now visible as he spoke. "Do I need to convince you to run?"

He didn't, Aido discovered, need any further incentive. Things had turned weird and weird had turned dangerous. He backed away a few steps, then turned and ran. It wasn't in his nature to be running away from any kind of a conflict, but his genius mind had done the math for the report in the briefcase in his hand and Kaname's earlier command of 'stay'. It was more important to get his report to Kaname-sama than to stay in this weird vampire's company.

His head bowed slightly as he ran for the staircase and mentally replayed the earlier instructions. Perhaps Kaname had left him behind as a back-up, an agent he could trust. A shiver ran through him, making his movements unsteady. Yes, perhaps that was it. Kaname couldn't trust Takuma and had left Aido behind to take care of things.

Aido's grip on the briefcase tightened and he blurred away at vampire speed. _Kaname-sama-!_

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><p><strong>~*~*~*~Thanks for reading!~*~*~*~ Leave a comment if you can, I love hearing what you think. ^_^<strong>

**A/N: Ah, poor Aido. He's really in the mix of more stuff than he knows, eh? And Takuma-shame on you, really! XD  
><strong>


	9. First Run

**A/N: Thank you all for the faves/alerts AND reviews! I really do appreciate them. This chapter is short, 'cause I'm going to skip through some stuff in the next chappy and I wanted to give a glimpse of how Takuma is reacting at the moment. Do enjoy the read! This will make sense in further chapters, honest! ^_^  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, it belongs to Matsuri Hino, I only lay claim to my original characters and plot bunnies. **

**WARNING: YAOI, boyxboy, don't like, don't read. No one is twisting your arm. Really.  
><strong>

**Everyone else, do enjoy the read! This will be a slow-building romance and most characters from VK will make an appearance.**

* * *

><p>Takuma raced to the staircase and slowed to look down over the railing. It was a spiral staircase, meant more for style than ease of access. One trick he'd learned throughout the years involved counting the number of spirals to the respective floor and simply jumping over the edge of the railing. Certainly not the safest method, but the fastest and as the changes of death occurring should he slip was practically nil, Takuma never gave it much thought after the first dozen times.<p>

He counted quickly, squinted to see the spot on the railing below and then vaulted over the edge to freefall downwards. He hadn't heard anything yet, so that meant he had a headstart—that was good. Seconds flew by and he caught the edge of the second floor railing and heaved himself over. Perhaps the theatrics were unnecessary, but a sudden, new urge had birthed itself the moment Aido had announced ten minutes.

Personally, he didn't care about the time limit. Kaname knew him well enough to know that when he said four hours, he meant four hours. A pointless deadline of two hours simply meant there was an understanding between them—at least, that was the way that Takuma chose to view it. He knew if the pureblood truly was angry with him, there was precious little he could do about it, but the information that had been requested would have taken a bare minimum of four hours to compile. It was a testament to his own strengths and talents to find the information, compile it and write a comprehensive report and analysis within the same four hour window.

Takuma blurred along the floor feeling his insecurities settle into a place for later thought. He was conditioned to this kind of work—a fire under pressure sort of feel. A prickle of frustration registered when he realized that the curly-headed blond was nowhere in sight. He hadn't meant to scare him, though now as he reflected, he figured that the airhead wouldn't have known that.

A troubled sigh left his lips as he dashed through the door and down another set of stairs to find himself in the private Ichijo garage. Hanabusa Aido was nowhere to be found.

_Drat._

The little flighty thing had left.

Of course, he hadn't exactly been detailed in his instructions, but Takuma hadn't thought that he'd scared the boy that badly, after all, it was simply something he'd done out of necessity. His stomach sloshed happily full and Takuma wiped his mouth with his sleeve, ignoring the fact that if his mind wasn't so busy puzzling things out and together, that it was something he wouldn't ordinarily do.

Raul would be fine—he was one of his favorites, as far as a little snack went and while his appetite was something worth mentioning, he'd never drained the faithful bodyguard in all the years that the man had allowed him to feed. Allowed him—certainly—for there was an agreement between him and as long as he was able to catch the other off guard, Raul's neck and his blood was fair game.

Takuma smiled inwardly to himself as he settled into a chosen car and screeched out of the garage.

Perhaps the theatrics really were unnecessary, but he couldn't help it. There were more important things going on here at present and he wanted to have his hands in the thick of it all—Just like a certain Kaname Kuran.

The green-eyed vampire smirked.

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><p><strong>~*~*~*Thanks for reading! Leave a comment if you like.~*~*~*~<strong>


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